1984-1986 Moto Park Grand Prixs

By the late 70’s the Golden Years of Canadian Motocross had come to an end, as did the boom years of Motorcycle Sales in Canada. The last Motocross Grand Prix had been held at Mosport in 1979. During the mid 80’s thru the mid 90’s sales of Motorcycles plummeted from more than 100,000 units per year to as low as 20,000.

Carl Bastedo had been successful in promoting both a series of National Consumer Motorcycle Shows throughout Canada starting in 1977 as well as Supercross starting in 1980 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Bringing a World Championship Motocross Grand Prix back to Canada was a natural evolution in his mind.

Any Motorsport event requires major sponsorship in order to be successful, this is the way it is all over the World. The Supercross events actually took in more in sponsorship than they did at the gate. The financial success of the Canadian Grand Prix was doomed from the beginning as Yamaha Canada was the only major company to sponsor the event.

In spite of this, a great event was put together in 1984 on an extended Motopark track. Hundreds of loads of dead sand carved out of a “honey hole” found on the property re-surfaced the entire track. Huge D8 bulldozers where brought in to reshape the woods at the south end of the property revealing huge hills and drop offs which where a part of any GP track of the era.

Hospitality wasn’t generally a part of the travelling GP Circus at the time and Motopark was one of the first to introduce a deck overlooking the track with décor and waiters serving up Steak dinners for the local and GP VIP’s in attendance. The Township Reeve and council members where in attendance and Ontario’s Solicitor General arrived for the opening ceremonies via Helicopter which landed in the front yard of Carl’s house.

More than 3,500 spectators paid to get in bringing total attendance close to 5,000. It was the most people seen at a Motocross race in Canada since the great 500cc GP at Copetown in 1975.

All the buzz in the pits was how Canada’s Ross Pederson would fare against the GP regulars, 13 of whom made the trip. Chuckles throughout the pits as the Euro’s looked over Ross’s RM500 “Motocross” bike. On the track it was a different story as Ross challenged many of them finishing top Canadian in 4th place while Glen Nicholson, also on the RM500, was next Canadian garnering 10th.

The podium at the 1984 Grand Prix of Canada was made up of Belgian riders. The victory went to Georges Jobe (Kawasaki) followed by Andre Malherbe (Honda) and Eric Geobers, also on a Honda.

In 1985 the FIM requested that Motopark run a non points paying 250 c.c. GP as the US GP at Unadilla was the following week and they felt the European riders would like to spend the week prior acclimatizing themselves to North America. Only 4 Euro’s made the trip led by Gert Jan Van Doorn who battled with Ross Pederson taking first in Moto 1. Van Doorn suffered a flat tire in Moto 2 allowing Pederson to take the win and become the first Canadian to win a Canadian Grand Prix. American Honda’s Darryl Shultz also showed up in 1985. Shultz finished with a DNF in moto one and 3rd behind Pederson and Doug Hoover in moto 2.

Financially, the Grand Prix’s proved to be to much of a drain and Motopark informed the CMA in the fall of 1985 that it would not run another 500 c.c. World Championship round in 1986. The CMA felt obligated to produce the event and took the production over with agreement that the event would be held at Motopark.

The last Motocross Grand Prix in Canada was held in sweltering heat. The event was well produced but poorly attended. On the Podium in 1986 were Belgians Andre Malherbe, and Eric Geobers while Great Britain’s David Thorpe rounded out the top 3. Top Canadian that year was Doug Hoover and Glen Nicholson in 9 and 10th. Ross Pederson was not entered, I suspect he was injured.

It was the end of an era and the entire World GP Circuit went into a slump during the late 80’s and 90’s as Motorcycle Sales World wide continued to plummet. Slow market growth in the late 90’s led to a revival of the GP scene in early 2000.

88,272 Responses

  7. Looking for small everyday items that actually make a difference instead of just taking up space? https://thesimfree.com/ is packed with smart finds that blend practicality with playful design. From cute sticky notes that brighten up your desk to rotating pen holders that keep workspaces tidy, Simfree turns daily organization into something enjoyable. Beauty tools stay hygienic and travel-ready, pill organizers make routines effortless, and compact cases protect essentials on the go. Even relaxation gets an upgrade with multifunctional diffusers that mix light, scent, and calm into one sleek device. Whether you’re organizing your desk, refreshing your beauty kit, or packing smarter for travel, Simfree delivers everyday essentials that are clever, portable, and genuinely fun to use.

    Reply

  8. Kalau kamu lagi cari platform judi resmi,
    IDN Slot adalah jawabannya.
    Situs ini punya RTP tinggi.

    Slot Gacor IDN menghadirkan ratusan game slot populer.

    Dengan fitur modern, server cepat, dan event jackpot mingguan, pemain bisa berburu bonus besar.

    Kelebihan IDN Slot antara lain:
    – Bonus new member hingga 100%
    – RTP tinggi di semua provider
    – Event menarik setiap minggu

    Situs Slot Gacor IDN menjadi rumah para pemburu jackpot.

    Main di IDN Slot dan buktikan kenapa spin di sini selalu gacor & menguntungkan!

    Reply

  11. Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I in finding
    It really helpful & it helped me out much. I hope to provide one thing back and aid others like you helped
    me.

    Reply

  25. Howdy would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working
    with? I’m going to start my own blog in the
    near future but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and
    Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems
    different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique.
    P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

    Reply

  30. Harika bir yazı. Gerçekten çok bilgilendirici.

    Tebrikler!|
    Yazınız gerçekten çok bilgilendirici.
    İzmir’deki taksi hizmetleri hakkında daha fazla bilgi almak için mutlaka tekrar ziyaret
    edeceğim!|
    Yazınızı okudum ve gerçekten çok beğendim.
    İzmir’deki taksi hizmetleri ve fiyatları hakkında böyle kapsamlı bir rehber bulmak gerçekten zor.
    Harika bir yazı olmuş!|
    Gerçekten çok yararlı bir yazı olmuş. İzmir’de taksi
    kullanmayı düşünenler için mükemmel bir kaynak. Ellerinize sağlık!|
    Harika bir yazı, özellikle İzmir taksi hizmetleri hakkında verdiğiniz bilgiler çok faydalı oldu.
    Harika bir iş çıkarmışsınız!|
    Harika bir yazı. İzmir’deki taksi ücretleri ve servis hakkında
    böyle detaylı bilgi bulmak gerçekten çok zor.
    Tebrik ederim!|
    Çok beğendim! İzmir’deki taksi hizmetleri ile
    ilgili daha fazla yazı görmek isterim. İçerik gerçekten çok yararlı olmuş.

    Teşekkürler!|
    Çok güzel bir yazı. İzmir’deki taksi sistemine dair her şeyin detaylı bir şekilde anlatıldığı bu yazıyı okumanın çok faydalı olduğunu düşünüyorum.
    Çok teşekkürler!|

    Reply

  34. Компания «РазВикТрейд» из Беларуси обеспечивает комплексное изготовление пресс-форм и производство изделий из пластика для российских и белорусских заказчиков. Предприятие с десятилетним опытом выполняет проекты любой сложности: от проектирования 3D-модели до запуска серийного производства. Подробнее о возможностях и кейсах компании можно узнать на https://press-forma.by/ – здесь представлены примеры работ, каталог готовой тары и условия сотрудничества. Клиенты получают гарантию соблюдения сроков, экономическую оптимизацию проекта и выгоду в 2-3 раза выше по сравнению с китайским производством.

    Reply

  35. Today, I went to the beach front with my kids.
    I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the
    shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it
    pinched her ear. She never wants to go back!

    LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!

    Reply

  37. Bathroom glass doors for Canopy by Hilton

    1) inline glass shower enclosure consists of two stationary glass
    panel with U channel to fix them with the side wall, one
    center hinge swing entrance door

    2) interior wall partition consists of one stationary glass wall with U
    channel to fix it with the side wall, one sliding glass door for entrance with soft close mechanism for easy opening in or out.
    The glass is frosted laminated glass for impact resistant and privacy purpose

    Welcome to inquiry, we are glad to tailor make for each project

    https://www.newspacehospitality.com/e_productshow/?1353-Bathroom-glass-doors-for-Canopy-by-Hilton-1353.html

    Reply

Leave a Reply to website Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *